


A Misunderstanding

by writeitininkorinblood



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus is a jealous idiot, Draco is still a great dad, M/M, Scorpius worries too much, cursed child spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9727637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeitininkorinblood/pseuds/writeitininkorinblood
Summary: Albus got jealous, Scorpius got worried, Draco got a brooding teenage son upside-down on his sofa in the middle of the school year





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just like writing Draco as a dad. I'm sorry.

When Draco walked into the living room to find his son lying upside-down on the sofa, his hair brushing against the floor and his feet propped up on the wall, he took a step back. For one, it was the middle of the school year. Scorpius was supposed to be at Hogwarts, although it was admittedly a Saturday. It seemed most likely that Scorpius had gone to Hogsmede and apparated home from there, since none of the charms would be able to detect that he was leaving. Technically there were no rules against it – he was old enough to go to Hogsmeade and to apparate. It was just weird to have him suddenly drop in unannounced. Still, asking that particular question seemed a little redundant. Something was clearly bothering him greatly.

Approaching carefully, Draco cleared his throat to announce his presence. Scorpius barely moved, looking over and sighing. Draco wasn’t quite sure how to talk to his son when his eye line was level with most normal people’s shoes. He tilted his head so they were at least in the same orientation.

“School?” he asked. Scorpius just shook his head miserably. Draco thought for a second before hesitantly trying again. “Albus?” This time he got a long, pregnant silence followed by a small nod.

Draco couldn’t help but wish it wasn’t that. He supported his son but that didn’t mean he knew what he doing when it came to giving romantic advice about boys. Still, he could try.

“What’s up? You can talk to me,” he said, sitting down beside Scorpius on the sofa. Of course, he sat the right way up, hoping Scorpius would take the hint and move before the blood all rushed to his head and he felt faint.

Scorpius didn’t say anything for a moment. They he huffed, shuffled round so his head was resting on the arm of the sofa and his feet were in his father’s lap, then huffed again. Draco just patted his socks awkwardly until he spoke.  
“He’s mad,” Scorpius admitted.

Albus not talking to him was always horrible. They slept in the same dormitory so it was painfully obvious that he was going out of his way to ignore him. Scorpius hated fighting, he just wanted to kiss his boyfriend again, and since he couldn’t do that he’d decided leaving the place that currently felt so lonely and moping around his childhood home was the next best option.

Sensing that Scorpius wasn’t going to give any more information without prompting, Draco tried again.

“Why?”

The frown on Scorpius’ face made it clear that whatever the problem was, it wasn’t over.  
“This Ravenclaw girl was flirting with me and I didn’t tell her to stop,” he mumbled.

He was convinced it wasn’t his fault. It had only been for a few minutes and he’d greeted Albus with a kiss when he walked over. He’d never pretended he wasn’t head-over-heels in love with his boyfriend and it wasn’t until he’d cheerfully summed up the conversation to Albus that he was informed he shouldn’t have been laughing at the girl’s jokes while she twirled her hair around her finger.

Draco cocked his head, confused. Last he heard Scorpius exclusively liked guys, so he wasn’t quite sure why a girl flirting would him would sound like an attractive prospect.  
“Why not? Do you like her?” he asked, uncertain.

Scorpius sat up quickly, pulling his feet away and tucking them under himself with horror in his eyes. He shook his head frantically.  
“No! I didn’t even realise she was flirting,” he admitted. She’d just seemed to be being nice in the gap before potions. He didn’t want her. He barely even knew her. She was a _girl._

“Oh.” That made more sense. Draco nodded to himself. “Did you tell Albus that?” he asked. Communication was important, that was something he’d always wanted to instil in Scorpius.

“Yes,” Scorpius sighed. “He said I was flirting back with her and if I wanted to be with a girl all I had to do was say it and leave.”

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. He hadn’t been flirting back, he’d just _laughed_. That meant nothing. He didn’t even know how to flirt. Any of his attempts to flirt with Albus resulted in his cheeks burning red and his fingers fidgeting and, usually, Albus giggling good-naturedly at him. It was difficult to say anything like that when he just wanted to tell Albus that he loved him and that he was wonderful, not tease and act coy.

It wasn’t difficult to see that there was a history behind whatever this was, and Draco was careful to tread lightly.

“It’s a tense point?” he asked.

“A little,” Scorpius shrugged. “Neither of us are… well, there’s a lot I’m not certain about and I think he feels the same.”

It wasn’t easy being gay in a school like Hogwarts. There weren’t that many students, so he had a tiny minority of allies, and everything was antiquated – including the library, so research wasn’t straightforward. He envied muggle teenagers with their internet access and role models. Every time he watched a television he saw a gay couple that occupied his thoughts all evening and made him wish he could have that kind of reassurance every day. But he had to make the most of what he had and that was fine. It just meant the coming-to-terms-with-everything process was a little more drawn out.  
“So you might like this girl?” Draco said, confused. He made certain not to sound in any way cheerful about it. Whatever made Scorpius happy was fine.

Scorpius twisted his fingers together but despite his depressive state he wouldn’t give up what he knew to be the truth. Vehemently shaking his head, he leapt to correct himself.  
“ _No._ Dad, I know I’m gay. I’m sure of it. It’s just a lot to deal with, to understand. Evie, that’s the girl, I thought she was just being nice. So I was being nice back,” he protested. That’s all it was. He didn’t know how not to be nice. Even when Rose greeted him with something akin to bitter verbal abuse, he grinned and wished her a good day.

Draco couldn’t help a sad smile. Scorpius was definitely not an empath, but he was the kindest kid you could imagine and Draco almost didn’t want that to change. But it was best that he worked on how to read other people better. For his own sake.

“You might not want to hear it but you’re not always the best with understanding other people’s feelings, Scorpius,” he said gently.  
“I know,” Scorpius sighed. He hadn’t had the practise as children that most people got. “I’m working on it. Albus knows I am.”

That seemed fair enough. Albus seemed to understand Scorpius well so Draco couldn’t imagine that he wouldn’t see how Scorpius could have had trouble distinguishing flirting from friendliness.  
“So what’s the trouble about?” he asked, sensing they were getting somewhere.

Scorpius paused for a long moment. He didn’t want to admit what he was worried about, because that made it seem more real.

“…I think maybe he’s second guessing himself. And he’s worried I might be doing the same myself. I’m not, but what if he is? What if… what if he’s realised he’s straight and he doesn’t want to be with me.”

He was whispering as he finished talking. The idea of his boyfriend no longer being attracted to him wasn’t one he wanted to dwell on.

Draco could sense that Scorpius was anxious. He rested a reassuring hand on his knee and squeezed gently.  
“If he’s getting jealous that a girl is talking to you then I think we can assume his feelings for you are intact,” he reasoned, trying to help his son see beyond the worries that were tracking round inside his brain.

But Scorpius couldn’t shake the tiny threads of doubt nibbling at the corners of his consciousness.

“Unless he’s jealous of _me_ because he’d rather Evie Finnigan-Thomas was flirting with him,” he mumbled.

Draco couldn’t help a short burst of laughter when he realised who this girl was. He’d been aware of Dean and Seamus’ wedding, but he hadn’t known they had a daughter. It seemed vaguely ironic that she was the one who had inadvertently wedged uncertainty into Albus and Scorpius’ relationship.

“What?” Scorpius asked, insecure that he’d said something wrong.  
“Nothing. It’s just… I knew her parents,” Draco admitted. It was probably best not to explain that exact nature of how he knew them – they hadn’t been the best of friends. But Scorpius probably knew the most of that anyway, it was all in a textbook somewhere. “Listen, talk to Albus. There’s no point in worrying about something that might be nothing.”

Scorpius nodded slowly. He did want to go back to school and to see Albus again. He couldn’t hide in Malfoy Manor forever. He’d learnt that the hard way, from the childhood that kept him safe but cursed him. Facing Albus and talking things out was the only way forward, and what would be would be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius returns to Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing the play always makes me want to write this pair because they're so cute together. So here's a little follow up chapter/epilogue type thing.

Scorpius returned to Hogwarts with a plan to talk to Albus, but it wasn’t as easy as he’d scripted in his head. Albus still wasn’t talking to him, avoiding him at all costs for the rest of the day and not even making an appearance at dinner. By the time Scorpius retired to the dormitory Albus was already in bed. Scorpius got one painfully sad and hurt look before Albus dragged his bed curtains closed. Not wanting to have this talk surrounded by their roommates, Scorpius went to bed himself. In what he deemed bitterly ironic it seemed it had become easier to talk to his father about Albus then it was to talk to _Albus_ about Albus. He allowed himself a second to appreciate how happy he was he was closer to his dad now, before he drifted off to sleep.

Then Albus woke up screaming his name.

It happened from time to time, they’d both accepted there was nothing they could do about it. Albus still had nightmares about what Delphi had done, how she had used the Cruciatus Curse on Scorpius whilst he’d had his wrists bound and had to watch helplessly when all he wanted to do was stand in Delphi’s way. Scorpius had begrudgingly explained to him, after weeks of begging, what it had felt like: unbearable pain; white hot knives stabbing into you, wishing you were dead just so it would end. Albus had hoped that would calm the dreams but it had only made them more vivid. Nothing, not even Scorpius sleeping safely beside him, made them stop haunting him every month or so. And the only thing that calmed him afterwards was being able to hold Scorpius tight so he could convince himself that it was all over. Lily had once quietly explained to Scorpius that over the summer, when he wasn’t with Albus, nothing could stop the sobbing and convulsing until their mother gave him a sleeping draught. That gnawed away at Scorpius' consciousness more that he could admit.

Comforting Albus after a nightmare was second nature to Scorpius now. He didn’t give a moment’s thought to their continuing argument, instead letting his muscle memory take over as he got out of bed and quickly crossed the gap to Albus, pulling back the curtains and climbing onto the mattress to gather his shaking, jealous, idiot of a boyfriend into a hug.

“She’s gone. She’s in Azkaban. She can’t hurt me anymore, or you,” he mumbled as he stroked back Albus hair and kissed his forehead. The soft reassurances and gentle touches were exactly how his mother had comforted him before she’d died and the technique worked just as well on Albus as it had on Scorpius.

Albus just buried his face against Scorpius’ neck and worked on remembering to breathe. They’d gone through this enough times that they had a routine. Karl didn’t even yell at them to be quiet anymore, he got that Albus wasn’t kicking up a voluntary fuss.

“Tell me you’re okay,” he asked.

“I’m okay. I’m more than okay,” Scorpius promised. “And, Al… I… I wasn’t flirting with that girl. Please believe me. You know I’m not interested. Even if I wasn’t with you. But I am. And I’m happy to be. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Albus said simply.

And that was it, Scorpius knew. They were past this particular problem. They still needed to talk about Albus being jealous and Scorpius bolting home instead of talking things out – but Evie, who might have been the only person at Hogwarts who hadn’t known they were dating, wasn’t an issue anymore.

Scorpius nudged Albus over so he could lie beside him. He didn’t much fancy going back to his own bed and from the way Albus’ arms tightened around his waist, it was a mutual feeling. He pressed another kiss to Albus’ cheek and pulled the bed curtains closed again to block out any light, early rising nosy roommates, and the world in general. Nothing could hurt them, physically or emotionally, when they were like this. Warm, safe, and together.


End file.
